OAKLAND, California, July 13 -- The Center for Environmental Health issued the following news release: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would start the process to regulate toxic PFAS (per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) formed during the fluorination of plastic containers. This decision follows a petition filed by a coalition of environmental and health advocates represented by Earthjustice, the Center for Environmental Health, and Public Employees for Environmental   more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 12 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Earthjustice applauded an announcement today from the Department of the Interior advancing a process to enact stronger protections for public lands in Alaska's Western Arctic (also known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or Reserve). These lands provide irreplaceable wildlife habitat, are critical for traditional subsistence practices of local people, and are undergoing dramati  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 13 -- The National Center for Lesbian Rights issued the following news release on July 12, 2024: * * * "With legislators having loudly and proudly proclaimed their [anti-transgender] bias, the defendants ought not be allowed to hide from it now" * * * Yesterday, federal district court judge Robert Hinkle denied the State of Florida's request to stay a June 11 decision blocking enforcement of Florida's law banning health care for transgender minors and restrict  more

SANTA MONICA, California, July 13 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 12, 2024, to Foreign Policy: * * * Russia Is a Strategic Spoiler in the Indo-Pacific By Derek Grossman Although much of Russia's foreign policy has been directed at the Middle East, Africa, and--since February 2022--the conquest of Ukraine, Moscow has recently shown that it remains a formidable presence in the Indo-Pacific. Between mid-May and mid-June, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China, N  more

SANTA MONICA, California, July 13 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 12, 2024, to Modern Diplomacy: * * * IPCC's Next Assessment Needs to Tackle the Complexities of Catastrophic Risk By Benjamin Lee Preston In January, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's most authoritative body for the assessment of climate science, met to plan the seventh iteration of its reports to international policymakers. As that work gets underway, the IPCC will have  more

SANTA MONICA, California, July 13 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 12, 2024, to Route Fifty: * * * Stackable Certificates Could Be a Lifeline for Governments Facing an IT Talent Crisis By By Nelson Lim Local and state governments are grappling with a severe shortage of skilled IT workers, particularly in critical areas such as cybersecurity, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. With their higher salaries and more attractive work environments, the private sector  more

SANTA MONICA, California, July 13 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 12, 2024, to War on the Rocks: * * * Back to the Basics: How Many People Are in the People's Liberation Army? By Shanshan Mei The People's Liberation Army is often described as "the largest military in the world." But depending on who you ask and what you count, the details are murky and confusing. The deeper one dives into the numbers, the more complicated the picture gets, and the greater the differe  more

SANTA MONICA, California, July 13 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 12, 2024: * * * Rethinking Priorities in Quantum Computing By Nicolas M. Robles The emergence of quantum computing suggests limitless possibilities in chemistry, material science, simulations to predict outcomes, and other areas, but, first, research on quantum algorithms must be prioritized to understand the feasibility, generality, and advantages of quantum computing over classical computing. Even if  more